


Whiskey Downfall

by nagi_schwarz



Series: Comment Fic 2016 [131]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 16:23:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8924029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/nagi_schwarz
Summary: Written for the comment_fic prompt: "Any, any/any, You are my sweetest downfall."Jack's sweetest downfall is Daniel. Lorne's downfall is the same.





	

Jack should have known that his favorite hiding place on base - the office supply room on level twenty-three that had been gathering dust for literally years - would be compromised by none other than Daniel Jackson. Sometimes, when Jack was feeling particularly tired or bored or childish, he’d take his laptop and retreat there and log onto the illicit game of Galaga that wasn’t supposed to exist on government servers and knock Carter off of her high score throne. The corridor down which the supply room was located had only a few cameras and therefore lots of blind spots, and the closet itself also had no cameras, so it was the perfect place to disappear for an hour or two. It was a great way to avoid IOA talking heads, too.

Jack was only three levels away from toppling Carter’s high score when the door squeaked open. He cursed and ducked behind a stack of boxes full of manila folders, pausing his game and muting it a second later.

“ - Some paperclips is all,” Daniel was saying, and Jack breathed a sigh of relief, went to stand up, and then he heard Daniel add, “Major Lorne, could you give me a hand?”

There was no way Jack could let one of his subordinates see him being as undignified as he was. Sure, sometimes he liked to stick it to the man, but overall he respected the uniform, and sitting on the floor playing Galaga like a virginal teenager who lived in his grandmother’s basement was undignified. On the other hand, Jack had heard Daniel grumble about Major Lorne more than once, especially after the incident with the Unas at the mine, and Jack knew Daniel’s frustration with egotistical zoomies who disrespected scientists and disregarded important scientific protocol, and if Daniel wanted to, he could make a good soldier’s life a living hell with his pleasant smile and his passive-aggressive politeness.

Jack set his laptop aside and peered around the edge of the stack of boxes with all the stealth he possessed after considerable years of training and practice.

“Sure thing, Doc,” Major Lorne said, and stepped into the storage room. “You maybe want to get some more folders to organize your files, too? I know how you archaeologists like to do things the old-fashioned way even though Major Carter has implemented some very efficient file-storage options for the SGC servers.”

The door closed, and Jack tensed, ready for anything, from Daniel to start freaking out at Major Lorne’s flippance to Daniel debasing Major Lorne by making him perform a task more suited to a lowly airman or -

“Stars, I’ve missed you,” Major Lorne said, and he tugged Daniel into a kiss.

Jack’s world dropped out from beneath him, and he felt like he was falling. He hadn’t been ready for that. He didn’t think anyone could be ready for that.

He knew SG-11 did long rotations off-world, six weeks at a time, with each member of the team rotating back to Earth for a designated Sunday one day a week, and the entire team being recalled only once every six weeks for two weeks of libo. He knew SG-11 had just gotten back from the planet for two weeks of freedom.

Jack had not known that Major Lorne was the type of man to go kissing other men. And he certainly hadn’t known Daniel was the type of man to go kissing back.

Jack knew he should get out before he saw anything he shouldn’t. A good officer would have announced his presence, broken up the scene before anything compromising ( _more_ compromising) could occur, because for all that Daniel didn’t like Major Lorne, Jack knew Major Lorne was a good officer, intelligent and efficient and just what the SGC needed, given his ability to come up with creative solutions to achieve the otherwise impossible, like exporting nerf footballs to teach juvenile Unas Earth-based sports.

What followed, Jack might have expected, had he known Daniel and Major Lorne were inclined as they were. Major Lorne crowded Daniel up against the wall, kissing him frantically, and Daniel was kissing him back, eyes squeezed shut, hands fisting in Major Lorne’s uniform.

“I want - I need -” Lorne panted between kisses. He tipped his head back and whined softly in the back of his throat when Daniel nibbled at his neck. “Please, can I? I want it, I want it so bad, I’ve missed it, I’ve missed _you -_ ”

“If you want it,” Daniel said, “since you beg so pretty.”

And then Lorne was untucking Daniel’s shirt with frantic hands, pawing aside the buttons and rucking up the t-shirt underneath.

Daniel threw his head back with a muttered curse when Lorne bent down and fastened his mouth over one nipple. Jack couldn’t see his other hand, but judging by the way Daniel was undulating his torso and threading his fingers through Lorne’s dark hair, Jack figured Lorne was stroking Daniel’s other nipple. Jack’s suspicions were confirmed when Lorne licked his way across Daniel’s chest and closed his lips over Daniel’s other nipple and brought a hand up to stroke the spit-slick nub of flesh.

“I’ve missed you too,” Daniel murmured, sighing happily, stroking his thumb at the nape of Lorne’s neck. “What is it you want, pretty Evan?”

Lorne straightened up and captured Daniel’s mouth in another kiss, whispered something that made Daniel’s eyes fly open.

“Anything for you,” Daniel murmured, working a hand up the back of Lorne’s shirt and stroking. “But patience. First one, then the other. We only have time for one. So, which will it be?”

Lorne’s answer was to dip his head and lick Daniel’s nipple once more. He licked and kissed and nibbled his way down Daniel’s ribs, lowering himself worshipfully to his knees. He curled his hands around Daniel’s hips and circled Daniel’s navel with his tongue, and Daniel’s hips bucked.

Jack should leave. He’d seen far more than enough. They were both so distracted that if he was quiet enough he could get out undetected. He’d have to leave his laptop, but he could come back for it later. Jack would have a private chat with Daniel, a bit more of an official chat with Lorne, let him know he’d been indiscreet but he wasn’t going to be treated unfairly, given the state of the military’s rules, but he had to get out of the supply room right now.

Only Lorne unbuttoned Daniel’s fly with his teeth, parted the fabric, hooked his thumbs in the waistband of Daniel’s boxers, and tugged them down.

Jack was trapped, by his own fascination, by his own lust.

He’d dreamed of something like this moment for too damn long, only in those dreams he was the one on his knees. He was the one licking a stripe up the throbbing vein on the underside of Daniel’s cock, the one clutching Daniel’s hips and circling the head of Daniel’s cock with his lips.

Daniel was beautiful, fingers white-knuckled where they curled at Lorne’s shoulders, in his hair, head tipped back, eyes closed, lips parted, flushed from throat to chest. Lorne was beautiful too, on his knees, head bowed in supplication, lashes forming a dark crescent against his cheek, lips red and plump as he bobbed up and down on Daniel’s cock.

Both of them were beautiful men. Jack wasn’t immune to beauty in men or women; he was just very good at resisting temptation. And he’d resisted Daniel for years, because Daniel was a friend, was a teammate, was another man, this was the military, and Daniel was straight.

But then Daniel started talking, a low stream of filthy promises, about how when he got Lorne home and all to himself he’d shove Lorne up against the door and blow him there, and then when he was spent he’d bend Lorne over the couch and fuck him back to hardness, and then drag him to the bedroom and throw him on the bed and ride him till he came again, and -

Daniel’s grip in Lorne’s hair looked painful, and Lorne made a low noise in the back of his throat that made Daniel’s hips jerk, and Jack realized Lorne was deep-throating Daniel. Daniel started rocking his lips more, at first tentatively, slow slides, but Lorne tipped his head, changing the angle, and with a muttered curse Daniel started fucking Lorne’s mouth. Lorne hung on and just took it, and Jack was so turned on he had to bite down on his own lip so as not to make a sound, but then Lorne made that whining sound in the back of his throat, and Jack was alarmed, was Daniel hurting him? Was this some kind of sick power game and punishment? Daniel thrust his hips once, twice, and clutched desperately at Lorne’s shoulders while he shuddered and shuddered and came.

He sank back against the wall, Lorne’s hands on his hips shifting to help keep him upright. Lorne pulled back, ducked his head to wipe his mouth on the back of his wrist without touching his uniform, and Jack knew the familiar detail in that, having indulged in his unfair share of ill-advised hook-ups with fellow officers in his youth, before he’d met Sara. Lorne was practiced at this. Were he and Daniel angry fuck-buddies or something?

Because Jack could kind of understand that.

And given that, their hook-up in a supply closet wasn’t so unexpected after all.

Lorne had just finished tucking Daniel in and buttoning his pants when Daniel hauled Lorne to his feet and kissed him, and Jack’s arousal spiked again.

Daniel worked a hand between Lorne’s legs, and Lorne twitched his hips with a murmured, “No, too late.”

Daniel laughed against Lorne’s mouth. “You came just from blowing me? You cocksucking slut.”

Jack flinched at the epithet, but Lorne just hummed, pleased.

“Only for you.” Lorne kissed Daniel languidly, tongues twining and sliding. “It’s been so damn long. And then all that dirty-talk. You nearly killed me.” He laughed softly as well.

Okay, they were winding down. They’d hooked up enough that they had the equivalent of post hook-up pillow talk.

Jack ignored the spike of hurt that flared up at the realization, that Daniel had been at this for a long time with Lorne, that Daniel had been like this and never told Jack, because he hadn’t trusted Jack or thought him a bigot or -

“I really have missed you,” Lorne said, reaching up and caressing Daniel’s face. “Not just your dick, fantastic though it is. One day a week isn’t enough, because there’s never enough time -”

“I know.” Daniel silenced Lorne with a kiss. “If only we had more time.”

“If only I weren’t a soldier.”

“If you weren’t a soldier, we’d have never met. And for all your hippie-dippie artist ways, you’re a soldier in your soul, and I wouldn’t have you any other way.” Daniel was gazing intently into Lorne’s eyes, and this was something Jack had never expected. Genuine affection.

Love.

Jack’s throat closed. He sat back and closed his eyes, did his best to slow his breathing and his arrhythmically beating, breaking heart.

He’d loved Daniel Jackson quietly and fervently for so many years, and Daniel loved someone else. Sha’re had been one thing. Jack would never have been able to compete with her. But Lorne was proof that Jack might have had a chance, once upon a time.

That chance was gone.

Lorne was the one Daniel was cradling in his arms and murmuring sweet nothings to.

“You need help cleaning up?” Daniel asked.

“No, I’m good till I get back to my place. What do actually you need for your office?”

“A box of sticky notes, actually. And tabs, so I can mark up books I don’t own. A strapping young officer such as yourself is much better suited to physical labor than delicate little scientist me,” Daniel said dryly. “And, of course, the files and the paperclips.”

Lorne laughed, the sound sweet and clear, and there was a rustling. “All right. Anything else you need, Doc?”

The door swung open.

“No, Major. I appreciate your help. I know this task is better suited to an airman, but you were handy and after what I did to my shoulder, Dr. Fraiser was very clear…”

Daniel’s voice faded, and Jack was left all alone.

It took him longer than he’d have liked to gather himself up, get to his feet, and take his laptop back to his office. Carter’s Galaga high score remained intact.

After that, Jack couldn’t help himself. He watched every time Daniel and Lorne were in the same space as each other. Those times were very rare indeed. Every time, they were consummate professionals, made eye contact briefly but not too long, acknowledged each other, and moved on.

But Jack learned to see the signs, when Daniel would cast a longing look at SG-11’s table in the mess hall during a lull in conversation at SG-1’s table. When Major Lorne swept through the halls and for the locker rooms with a singularity of purpose that Jack remembered from when he was coming home to Sara. (A singularity of purpose Jack had lost while Daniel was Ascended, that Jack wasn’t sure he’d gotten back.)

When the news came, that Daniel had discovered Atlantis, Jack didn’t dare let him go. Couldn’t. Not with the risk of it being a one-way trip. When Jack learned that Major Lorne, like a handful of other SGC personnel, had the fancy Ancient Gene, he was so, so tempted to send Lorne along as Sumner’s 2IC, because Ford was just a lieutenant, and a young one at that, but Jack couldn’t do that to Daniel.

When Atlantis failed to check back in, and the days turned into weeks turned into months, Jack knew he’d been right not to send Daniel along, and not to send Lorne either.

When Atlantis re-established contact, Jack was relieved, and he was also terrified, because this was it. Daniel’s chance to go to Atlantis. And Major Lorne’s. He had the chops and the experience - X-302 trained, 2IC on an extended off-world operation. Major Lorne volunteered for the expedition, and Jack stared at his paperwork for a long, long time before he signed the approval.

And then Vala Mal Doran happened, and Daniel didn’t go to Atlantis, but Lorne did, and Jack knew it would be his undoing, because he was far away in Washington, and Daniel had the likes of Cameron Mitchell and Vala to turn his head and win his heart.

When Lorne returned to Earth after the expedition was kicked out of Atlantis, Jack saw the moment he realized what was between Vala and Daniel (what they didn’t even realize was between them), and Jack knew the heartbreak behind his eyes, that the rest of the world couldn’t see.

Once the whole fiasco with Sheppard disobeying orders and stealing a jumper to rescue Atlantis was done, the expedition was poised to return, and the SGC was scrambling to recall everyone who’d dispersed.

Jack called Lorne to Hank’s office, confident Hank hadn’t found the spot where Jack kept his emergency stash of whiskey.

“Sir?” Lorne in dress blues was very dashing indeed.

“Have a seat, Major.”

Lorne did, perched on the edge of the chair like he was ready to flee at a moment’s notice, though his posture was textbook-perfect.

Jack poured them both a drink, pushed one tumbler across the desk to Lorne, who picked it up but didn’t take a drink.

“Sir?”

“To Atlantis,” Jack said, raising his glass.

Lorne raised his glass automatically, echoed the toast.

“And to Daniel Jackson.”

All the color drained out of Lorne’s face.

“Not here to bust you,” Jack said.

Lorne’s hand on the tumbler shook, and he set it down quickly. He swallowed hard. “Sir -”

“Drink up,” Jack said. “Your sweetest downfall should always taste like good whiskey. Takes the edge off the regret.”

Lorne took a cautious sip of the whiskey, his gaze never straying from Jack’s face.

Jack drained his tumbler in one go. “Be straight with me, Major. Do you want to go back to Atlantis? Or would you like a transfer back to Earth?”

Lorne studied the half-full tumbler for a long moment. “I’d better go back to Atlantis, sir.”

“Just like I’d better go back to Washington.” Jack caught Lorne’s gaze and held it, saw the moment understanding dawned in those pretty blue eyes.

“I didn’t realize, sir. I’m sorry. You -”

“I nothing, Major. And the same goes for you.”

Lorne ducked his head, a muscle twitching in his jaw, and Jack knew the insolence in the set of his shoulders, had seen it Daniel a thousand times before. “Yes, sir. And thank you. For the drink.”

“Good luck out there, Major.”

“And you too, sir. Godspeed and good hunting.”

“Good hunting.”

Major Lorne rose up, and Jack dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Then he replaced the bottle of whiskey, took the tumblers to the mess hall to deliver to the kitchen to be washed, and headed for the surface. On the way, he took a detour to his former favorite hideout, and he stood in the doorway, staring at the dusty shelves.

He caught an airman passing by and said, “Make sure Sergeant Siler gets this place cleaned up and some more cameras installed. Don’t want any weak spots in the system.”

The little airman nodded, offered an enthusiastic _Yes, sir!_ and hurried away to do Jack’s bidding.

When Jack finally stepped into the sunlight, he felt, for the first time in a long time, like he was no longer falling.


End file.
